A sheet feeding device includes a tray to store a stack of sheets, and a sheet elevation mechanism provided at the bottom of the tray to lift the stack of sheets until a top sheet of the stack of sheets reaches a predetermined height position. A paper feed roller is disposed above the tray to come in contact with the top sheet having reached the predetermined height position and rotated by a motor to deliver the top sheet from the tray. Additionally, the sheet feed device includes a controller to control the sheet elevation mechanism based on a drive torque of the motor to adjust the height position of the stack of sheets, after delivery of the first sheet from the tray by the paper feed roller and upon delivery of a second sheet by the paper feed roller. The frictional force to be produced between the second sheet and the paper feed roller is substantially equal to the frictional force produced between the first sheet and the paper feed roller during delivery of the first sheet.

A media feeding apparatus includes a media mounting section, a first feed roller, a media pressing section for pressing media sheets against the first feed roller, and a pressing force adjuster for adjusting the pressing force of the media pressing section. The controller sets the pressing force of the media pressing section to first pressing force and drives the first feed roller and the second feed roller in a forward rotation direction, and in a case in which the first detector detects a passage of a leading edge of the media sheet and the second detector detects no passage of the leading edge of the media sheet after predetermined first set time has passed, the controller continues the rotation of the first feed roller and the second feed roller with second pressing force of the media pressing section greater than or equal to the first pressing force.

An apparatus is disclosed. The apparatus comprises a transducer to transform a load in the housing to an electric current, upon receipt of a load exceeding a load threshold. The apparatus further comprises a light source coupled to the transducer to emit light upon receiving the electric current.

An apparatus is disclosed. The apparatus comprises a transducer to transform a load in the housing to an electric current, upon receipt of a load exceeding a load threshold. The apparatus further comprises a light source coupled to the transducer to emit light upon receiving the electric current.

A sheet stacking part stacks sheets. A first roller applies a force in a conveyance direction to an uppermost sheet among sheets stacked on the sheet stacking part by rotating in a forward direction. A second roller is separated from the first roller on the downstream side in the conveyance direction. The second roller applies the force in the conveyance direction to the uppermost sheet by rotating in the forward direction. A controller controls rotation of the first roller and the second roller so that a second main operation is performed after a first main operation. The first main operation is an operation of rotating only the first roller of the first roller and the second roller in the forward direction. The second main operation is an operation of rotating both the first roller and the second roller in the forward direction.

A sheet feeding apparatus includes an urging mechanism configured to urge a holding member such that a feeding member is brought into contact with an upper surface of a sheet loaded on a sheet loading member by the holding member. The urging mechanism includes a swinging member, a pressing member, and an urging member. The urging mechanism is configured to urge the holding member such that (i) a force by which the feeding member presses an upper surface of a sheet in a first state in which a distance between a loading surface and the feeding member is a first distance is larger than (ii) a force by which the feeding member presses an upper surface of a sheet in a second state in which the distance between the loading surface and the feeding member is a second distance longer than the first distance.

Provided are: a sheet feed device that is capable of suppressing the occurrence of a sheet feeding fault by changing the pressing contact force of a retard roller against a feed roller; and an image formation device equipped with the same. This sheet feed unit (50) is provided with: a pickup roller (29); a feed roller (31); a retard roller (32); a holding member (40) that holds the retard roller (32); a first biasing member (42) that biases the holding member (40); and a pressing contact force changing mechanism (60) that changes the pressing contact force of the retard roller (32) against the feed roller (31). The pressing contact force changing mechanism (60) has: a rotary shaft (61) disposed parallel to the axial direction of the retard roller (32); a cam member (70) that rotates with the rotary shaft (61); and a movable member (80) that contacts the cam member (70), moves in the axial direction in conjunction with the rotation of the cam member (70), and changes the biasing force generated by the first biasing member (42).

According to one embodiment, there is provided an image processing apparatus including a sheet storage unit, a pickup roller, a paper feed roller, a separation roller, a roller drive unit, a roller pressing unit, and a drive control unit. The pickup roller picks up a sheet from the sheet storage unit. The paper feed roller conveys the sheet picked up by the pickup roller. The separation roller is disposed to face the paper feed roller. The roller drive unit drives the separation roller. The roller pressing unit presses the separation roller against the paper feed roller. The drive control unit controls the roller drive unit so as to generate a conveying force for conveying the sheet and a returning force for pushing the sheet back in a direction opposite to a conveyance direction.

A supply device (3) for supplying substrate strips (10, 10′; 11, 11′) to a double-belt press (2) for pressing the substrate strips (10, 10′; 11, 11′) together includes unwinding stations (4, 5) each having an unwinding shaft (6, 7) for receiving a substrate strip roll (8, 9) and serving to unwind the substrate strips (10, 10′; 11, 11′) from the substrate strip roll (8, 9), at least one of the unwinding stations (4) having a force-measuring device with a measuring shaft (16, 17) around which one of the substrate strips (10, 10′; 11, 11′) can be wrapped, an auxiliary shaft (18, 19) being assigned to the measuring shaft, wherein the auxiliary shaft (18, 19) and the measuring shaft (16, 17) of the unwinding station (4) are moveable relative to each other between a guiding position for guiding the substrate strip (10, 10′; 11, 11′) from the roll of the substrate strip rolls (8, 9) through a gap between the measuring shaft (16, 17) and the auxiliary shaft (18, 19) and an operating position defining a pre-defined and/or pre-definable wrap angle (χ) of the substrate strip (10, 10′; 11, 11′) around the measuring shaft (16, 17) by an adjusting drive.

In a sheet postprocessing apparatus, an accommodation paddle increases a rate of increase in transport force generated for sheets by the accommodation paddle, in conjunction with a rate of increase in transport resistance generated for the sheets by a sheet pressing member with an increase in number of the sheets stacked on a sheet stacker.